Chapter 2

For his seventh birthday the not so little conspiracy went in together and, in addition to a return trip to the living history exhibition, got him a sewing machine. He kept it at the school so no one would break it just to be mean. This year's visit he got to show off his picture book of teddies and also some pictures of the utensils that he made. He even had whittled a very nice drop spindle to give to the spinner and fairly fancy storage box for a whetstone for the woodworker. They had meanwhile shared his story around, and everyone was willing to answer all sorts of questions and give him samples or tools to start out in whatever craft they taught. Harry went home with all sorts of things and even a few books. He also went home with a ton of wool and other fibers to play with. This year someone taught him how to knit and read a knitting pattern, as well as a nice set of knitting needles. The woodworker gave him a hatchet and careful instructions to only use it with an adult, and a book about how to make a full set of tools starting with the bare minimum, as long as you could buy a few metal bits for the blades of the tools. Harry was fascinated. One of the odder things he was given was a book about calligraphy and nib to put in a feather like a quill but more durable, and ink. It was suggested that he ask his teacher if he could treat it like an art project, and a history project and write up a book about his crafting experiences. He was later allowed.

In the school, one of Harry's favorite places to clean was the Shop classroom. The local primary was host to a pilot program so there was a full woodshop in the primary, and the secondary had an auto shop as well. As time went on, Mr. Hunt saw the care with which Harry handled the tools and the awe he showed at the current projects. Eventually Mr. Hunt joined Mr. Franks and Ms. Markham in their little conspiracy. When Harry was eight, Mr. Hunt started to teach Harry how to make things in the woodshop, though he had helped with assembly and the like before, he had been too young and too small physically to use the big tools like power saws and some of the sharper hand tools. It was like someone turned on the sun, Harry's smile was so bright.

Unlike first grade, the second grade teacher wasn't as comfortable with the little conspiracy, but she was a nice woman. She just had a hard time believing in so ridiculous a situation as described by the other adults and Harry. When harry took home a report that showed that he had significantly outperformed Dudley, he was mysteriously sick for a week, and when he came back he was a lot more skittish around adults and his joy was dimmed. Apparently Vernon didn't take kindly to the 'freak' looking better than his precious son. That was the first time he had genuinely beat Harry, first slapping him hard, then he whipped him with a belt until he was unconscious. He made Harry stay in his cupboard under the stairs until the bruise faded enough, doing innumerable chores around the house. Unlike Mr. Franks, being too small or not yet strong enough to do a task was no excuse for Vernon. Also he was not getting the food the friends provided. Upon his return to school he walked up to his teacher with Petunia dogging his steps. Though the teacher tried to allow privacy, Petunia insisted he abase himself in front of everyone. She made him apologize for cheating off of Dudley's work (though Dudley had scored lower and they didn't sit near enough to do that) and for trying to make himself look like he was 'worthwhile' to anyone, and then apologize to the teacher directly for lying about his work. She then insisted that the teacher assign him classroom cleanup chores for at least a month both for recess and afterschool, to be coordinated with Mr. Franks.

Utterly flabbergasted Ms. Miles went along with everything until the entire class was laughing at Harry and then made them get back to work. She thanked Petunia and said she understood the situation completely and his punishment would be suitable, then walked her out to the hallway while having the class read silently for twenty minutes. In the hallway Petunia was suggesting utterly inappropriate chores for Harry to do and lamenting that the school no longer offered corporal punishment as it is the only thing the 'wretch' understood, 'delinquent that he is, unlike my wonderful boy'. Ms. Miles played along and suggested that the time merely be added on to the time with Mr. Franks, and was she sure that a month was enough? Honestly for that level of academic misbehavior it should at least be for half the year, as the school didn't have academic probation available (it was only primary school after all). Petunia's expression was positively gleeful at that.

"Oh no, the whole year would make it really sink in wouldn't it. Perhaps till eight instead of six? Yes that is appropriate."

"What about his dinner?"

"Well he is on punishment. A cold sandwich will do" Ms. Miles was horrified. This woman was gleefully considering putting her nephew, her flesh and blood on short rations for a year for doing well in school? The ridiculous story about cheating off of Dudley, or anyone else was nonsense of course. She finally believed what the little conspiracy had been saying, and took a moment, after Petunia walked away joyously envisioning the freak's suffering, to compose herself. As the class was still reading silently (mostly-Dudley was misbehaving as usual) she got the few whose attention was wandering back on track then sat at her desk to pen an apology to Harry and a promise to do whatever she could to protect him in the future, asking him to talk during lunch recess. She stealthily slipped the note to Harry as she walked around the class.

When lunch came around, she dismissed the class, and Harry stayed behind. Dudley couldn't pass up a chance to mock him about missing recess, but honestly Harry prefered not having to hide from Dudley. If he had to clean the classroom, it was frankly a good trade. After the rest of the kids left, Ms Miles handed him her sandwich as he had none and they began to talk.

"I know I said it in the note, but I am so sorry for what I helped put you through by not believing you. It is just so insane that anyone could behave so abnormally."

Harry actually snorted-good he wasn't broken, just subdued, "they pride themselves on being normal. It's the reason they hate me, though I don't know what makes me so abnormal in the first place besides how they treat me"

"I couldn't tell you, and frankly I don't want to be able to understand that level of crazy. I have what I hope will be good news. It didn't take long to get a read on her, so I took a page out of Mr. Franks' playbook and encouraged 'punishment' of a type that will actually provide you with safety. You are on effectively academic probation. What this means is that you will give the school, or rather Ms. Markham and Mr. Franks an extra two hours a day for the school year. Though your Aunt said you would get a cold sandwich after coming home after dinner, what it means is that you get to eat a real meal with us. I am officially joining your little conspiracy."

Harry took this in quietly and smiled while eating her sandwich. "Thank you. I should clean up a little in here or Dudley will report that I'm not being punished enough."

"I'll help. I promise to send home fake grades if you promise to do your best work." Harry nodded in reply. His best work was well ahead of the others. He adored reading, and so much math and science was involved in his beloved making of things that he was really advanced for primary school.

The rest of the year went much more smoothly. He learned a lot from all of his favorites. He had started to call him his heart family, as opposed to his relatives, and he loved them as fiercely as they loved him. He kept up the project of teddies for the kids who might need or want them, and the hospitals in turn helped by donating supplies for him like fabric and buttons and thread. He learned how to do some pretty embroidery stitches to make things like fur and whiskers, but unlike the fur fabrics, they were washable, which was important in the hospitals. He also started making other patterns. Some of the people from the demonstrations who he had been writing to helped out as well. As long as they kept his name and face out of it, Harry said they could promote the program as much as they wanted. Ms Markham even went so far as to get legal papers for a not-for-profit called Caring Cuddles. She took care of the paperwork, though taught Harry all about what she was doing and asked his opinions whenever she had to make a decision. Over the years, Harry made thousands of toys to give to those who might want them, and the charity itself took on a life of its own. A year and a half later Petunia had mocked his little attempt at 'pretending he was anything other than a freak' and compared his pathetic attempts to the roaringly successful charity with such a sad story! How could anyone treat their family that way!'. Ms. Markham had said that especially without using his name or face, they at least needed some of the story of why this project. So Harry had explained that he had never had a teddy growing up, and thought how scared he was and how much he wanted one, so maybe there are others who want one too. He thought about who might be sad or scared and came up with sick kids and orphans, as he was an orphan and had often been sick or hurt and alone. He even said that the people he lived with would prevent the project from continuing if they found out about it, that was why he hid who he was. When Petunia made that last comment about family, it was all he could do not to explode-whether it would be laughter or rage was undetermined, and he didn't want to find out. His conspiracy had a good laugh about it later.

In the woodshop, Mr. Hunt helped him use the book about making tools from scratch. He also gave Harry a few tools to start out with and some of the parts to make others. He gave Harry a good handsaw and a wedge, as well as the blade for a handplane, which they would build the body of together. He taught harry about caring for his tools, how best to keep them sharp. He also helped Harry build a few things for himself including a shelf for all of his own books and a stunning toolchest. In the old days, a woodworkers toolchest was something like a resume. It both showed the care he took with his tools, and exhibited various techniques that he was capable of. He got Harry a large collection of catalogs to show what kind of specialized tools were out there, and also inspire him in his projects. Harry was already an accomplished whittler, but he started to make things he could sell, as Mr. Hunt had a friend who did craft shows and was willing to sell some of his things. As before, Ms. Markham helped him make out paperwork for a business with her as the caretaker as he was a minor. Harry was hoping to make a little pocket money, maybe enough to buy some fancy wood or new tools, but Harry's products developed a devoted following. His spoons and other utensils seemed to make the food taste better, or cleanup easier, didn't scratch the pans at all, etc. His ornaments just seemed extra special, and there were people who got one every year.

He still kept spinning yarn with his drop spindle, and knit with it. It was the only way he ended up having decently warm clothing. If his family gave him any decent clothes, his relatives accused him of stealing. If he said they were presents, he risked losing the ability to spend time with them because if the Dursleys though he was liked or that he was enjoying himself they would find a way to ruin it. So they gave him supplies to make things with. He could say he was practicing as he had been assigned, and it was something useful so as to not be wasteful, but he needed to practice on something unimportant so he wouldn't mess up something valuable. What he would be fixing for the school custodian, his Aunt didn't ask, rather she took the opening to mock him about being guaranteed to mess things up.

Harry also kept up his correspondence with the spinner and other fibercrafters at the museum. In addition to all of the help they provided on the Caring Cuddles project, they also discussed the various merits and disadvantages for assorted tools. He really wanted a Spinning wheel, but he wanted to make it. Same for a loom. He had made potholders and the like with simple cardboard looms made out of scraps, but he wanted to be able to weave things like the stunning masterpieces he had seen at the museum. That summer for his birthday, in addition to the now traditional trip to living history museum, he was given many more supplies and a ton of books, as well as building plans for both a loom and a spinning wheel, as well as vouchers for some of the parts he would have to buy. His summer project was the loom as he already had a way to spin, even if the wheel was much more efficient, but he had no way to really weave. At the museum he learned about what kinds of plants can be used to dye fibers, and how to make salves and balms. He learned about beekeeping, but didn't think he would be allowed to do that, also Dudley would probably shove him into the hive and that would be bad all around. Despite it's lack of feasibility, he still took in the information and curiosity about how there is so much more to gardening than just weeding and watering. He learned about canning and preserving, salting, smoking, and pickling. Since he was the one who did all of the work in the garden, he thought he would be able to suggest this in a way that Petunia would accept, at least the canning. Maybe something about showing the neighbors up for thriftiness as opposed to wasting the produce they didn't eat, and how nice it would be to have fresh homemade sauce for pasta with all of the tomatoes they grew. For crafts, Harry learned more about weaving and the different types of looms and tools involved, and what kind of yarn worked best for different fabric or weave structures. This year there was a large display on quilting, so he learned a great deal about that, and he had tons of tiny scraps from the teddies that were too small to use for that, and fabric that had been donated that wasn't suitable to the project. He had read about other charities and that some made colorful blankets and quilts to give to kids. He learned about older sewing techniques like smocking and a little more about lace. The bobbin lace was pretty cool, the bobbins were almost musical as they bumped into each other, like wind chimes, and the patterns were really cool. Though he made a tiny sample and took home a quality kit (a present) he was more interested in making the bobbins as lace, as neat as it was to make, was of limited use to a young boy. From the woodworker this year, he got to see a lathe. Woodturning was amazing. Like most woodworking, it could be dangerous and you had to be very careful, but woodturning was just too cool! The school shop didn't have a lathe-yet, but it was definitely going on the wish list.

Please review-I don't have a Beta, so constructive criticism is desired please.